of Lords to consolidate the law relating to literary copyright. At the
instance of the Canadian Authors' Society a clause was introduced into
this bill empowering the Legislature of any British possession if a book
had been first lawfully published in any other part of Her Majesty's
Dominions, and it was proved to the satisfaction of an officer, appointed
by the Government of such possession to receive such proofs, that the
owner of the copyright had lawfully granted either a license to import for
sale in such British possession, or a license to reproduce therein by any
process, an edition or editions of any such book designed for sale only in
such British possession, it should be lawful for the Legislature of such
possession by Act or Ordinance to provide for the prohibition of the
importation, except with the written consent of the licensee, into such
possession of any copies of such book printed elsewhere except under such
license as aforesaid, except that two copies might be specially imported
for the _bona fide_ use of each of the public free libraries, of the
university and college libraries, and law libraries of any duly organized
law institution or society for the use of its members.

The fourth Congress of the Chambers of Commerce of the Empire met in
London, when Lord Monkswell's bill was before Parliament, and unanimously
adopted a resolution, which I proposed and which was seconded by the
Honourable Thomas Fergus, of New Zealand, declaring its approval of the
bill and expressing the earnest hope that it might speedily become law.

Lord Monkswell's bill did not succeed in getting through the required
stages to make it law, but the British Government has now taken the matter
up, and the King's speech at the opening of the present Parliament
announces a copyright bill as a Government measure.

Towards the close of the Parliamentary session of 1900, the Honourable Mr.